Watchcase.



PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

J. T. PENDLBBURY.

WATGHGASE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wand???" mffzadkzfly zo'dmsaea PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

J. T. PBNDLBBURY.

WATGHGASB.

APPLICATION r1221) mu 1, was.

2 SHEETS-S3BET 2 wa'tzaesaas I a 675227" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WATCHCASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 6, 1906.

Application filed May 1, 1905. Serial No, 258,323.

To (til whom, it 'nm. 1 concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES THOMAS PEN- DLEncnY, a subject of the King of Great Brit sin and Ireland, and a. resident of Manchester, in the conntyof Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l vatohcases, of which the following is a specification.

Thls invention relates to improvements in the casing of, more perticulerly, pendent or stem-set keylcss watches; and it consists, chiefly, in the means of securing the movements therein and in the application of a. dustproof cover or esp thereto, by which improvements the cost of production of the finished article is reduced and a. more elllcient casing of the watch is obtained.

In en open-faced wetchcsse made in sccordance with this invention the watchcssecenter is preferably formed in one piece with the bezel by rolling or pressing with dies, or by both, end it may be "formed seamless or with a. seam brazed or soldered instead of being formed with a separate bezel, as'is generally done, or turned out of a solid ring. The case cap or beck is preferably snapped on; but it may be screwed or jointed on. By this construction of wstchcase center and bezel I obtain the maximum of strength equivalent to that obtained in present practice, and I also get less weight and low cost of production. In a hunting-case the wetchcese center and bezel on the dial side of the case would be slightly modified, so that the hinged front cap or cover would fit and open in the usual manner.

In the drawings attached hereunto, Fig ure 1 represents a side elevation of openfaced watch in which my improvements are applied, showing the case in section. Fig. 2 is a back elevetion of the watchcsse with the cap and the movement removed. Figs. 3 and 4 are two side elevations of the dust cap or cover of the movement. Fig. 5 is a plan of the means employed vlor locking the movement in the case. Figs. 6 and 7 represent each a plan from the top and bottom, respectively. Fig. 8 represents a cross-sectional elevation of a hunting-case, showing my improvements applied; Fig. 9, a back elevation of the case; Figs. 10, 11, and 12, three different views of the means for locking the movement in the case and for locking and openingthe front cap or cover.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 7, the watchosse-center 1 and bezel 2 are represented as combined in one piece. 3 is the glass; 4, the back cap, which 1s shown as being independent and snapped onto the rim 5 of the watchcasc-center 1. The windingstcm is represented by 6 and the movement (shown only in Fig. l) by 7. The movement is inserted from the back. The front plate of the movement, as usual, slightly projects beyond the body of the movement, forming an annular iedge 8, end when the movement is inserted into the case the edge margin of the dial bears egeinst the reflector of the bezel, and as this is in one with the watchcsse-center the move ment is held in that position by means of spring-fingers and the winding-stem. Two or three such fingers ere preferebig employed, and one in particular, that farthest away from the winding-stem, is adapted to press or beer upon the said ledge 8, end thereby essist to hold the movement in position. In the drawings the fingers are shown carried by s. preferably flexible hoop 9, (shown separately in Figs. 5, 6, and 7,} adapted to lie in side the wotehcase center Without fixing. Three lingers 1U, 11, and 12 are shown as heving been. cut or pressed out of the hoop 9, and the are upset, so as to stand away from the inner surface of the hoop. \Vhen the movement is pressed into the wetcl1cesecen ter 1, its ledge S at the top passes under the fingers 11 end 12 end then snaps past the finger 10 and is prevented from returning until it is forced against the other fingers, which give we and release it from the finger it). One such finger 10 only may be used, and that positioned a iproxnnately 0p osite the winding-stem 6; but in this case t e hoop 9 would have its ends slightly set inward, so as to act as substitutes for the fingers 11 and 12. The hoop 9 not being endless is adapted to shorten end lengthen, prefereblyet the opposite side to the finger 10, and thereby facilitate its being sprung into and out of position in the watchcese-ccnter. In place of this hoop each finger employed may be made seperntcly and be secured to the Watchcsse-cenin? i by screw. This method of fixing the lingers is not shown on the drawings, as it is obvious.

The dust-excluding cap or cover 13 is shown in section in Fig. i and in plan, looking from the top and bottom sides in Figs. 3 and. 4. It is simply a circular cyiindricsl cap of thin metal or other snitehle material-for instance, celluloidend may have a. milled edge 14. It hes no openings in the fece, but

is slotted at 15 to clear the winding-stem 6 l movement having a projecting annular ledge and at 16, when required, to clear the side push (not shown) In watches having this movement, and it may be slotted, as at 17, to clear the linger 10. it is made to lit the outside of the movement internally and the inside of the watehcase-eenter l externally and when the movement is in position to slightly roject above the watehease-eenter, so that 1ts milled edge can be seized by the fingers for removing it. \Vhen the cap 13 is in position, it is held chiefly by friction.

Referring now to Figs. 8 to 12, in Which my improvements are shown in application to a hunting-case, the bezel 2 is formed with an annular seating 18, against which the rim 19 of the front cover 20, jointed at 21, closes. The hoop 9 in this case carries the lock-spring for the ointed front cover 20 and the flyspring 23 for the same. The finger for locking the movement in the case is shown at 10 and the other two at 11 and 12. By this construction of case and means of securing the movement therein the necessary hand-labor in assembling the movement and parts of the case is reduced to a minimum, and consequently considerable time is saved.

I clailn 1. In a keyless watch in which the case center and bezel are formed in one piece and the movement inserted therein. from thebaek, the combination. with the case-center and. the

of a split hoop adapted to fit in the side of and between the case-center and the movement and having a slot for the winding-stem to pass through and spring-eatehes pressed out of the hoop adapted and arranged topress upon the projecting annular ledge of the movement and thereby elip the movement in position.

2. in a keyless watch in which the ease center and bezel are formed in one piece and the movement inserted therein from the back, the combination with the case-center and the movement having a projecting annular ledge of a split hoop adapted to fit in the side of and between the case-center and the movement and having a slot for the winding-stem to pass through and spring-catches pressed out of the hoop adapted and arranged to press upon the projecting annular ledge of the movement and thereby clip the IHOVP- ment in position, a cylindrical dust-cap having deep sides adapted to fit annularly the inside of the said hoop round the movement, and a. back cover fitting the ease-center and covering the said cap.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES 'IHUWAS lllNllhllllUllY. VVitn csses CARL BoLLi i, RIDLEY J. URQUIIART. 

